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B. B. BREEDEN.

TRAIN CONTROLLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1915.

1,1 93,492'. Patented Aug. 1, 15H6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I l Ix' B. B. BREEDEN. TRAIN CONTBOLLING APPARATUS.

APFucmoN man MAR. 21. 1915.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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BENJAMIN B. BREEDEN, 0F Il'DIfNAPQL-IS, INBIAN., ASSIGNGR OF ONE-HALF T0 CLARENCE LAV/'SON AND ONE-FOURTH T) WILLIAM L. VAUGHN AND HAZEL VAUGHN, ALL OF INDIANA-.PQL-S, INDANA. i

TRAIN-CGNTROLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1915.

To all 'ro/wm t muy concern 'Be it 'known that I, BENJAMIN B. hummm7 a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of lndiana., have invented new and useful Improvements in llrain-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic train controlling apparatus.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide train-controlling apparatus whereby a train traveling along the trackway will be protected both from the front and the rear so that the danger of a head-on or rear-end collision will be avoided7 wherebyl the propelling` power of a train approaching or following' another train will be automatically cut ofi and the brakes applied in the event of the train entering into close proximity of the controlling train, and whereby a train may be brought to a standstill automatically by a station agent at any point along the trackway within his control.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claims.

in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit connections along the track. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of .one of the road signals, parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional vview through one of the track obstacles, parts being shown in section. Fig. 4t is a top plan view of the track obstacle. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through one of the track contact devices.

firrranged along the trackway and spaced apart appropriate distances areA vertical standards l and secured to the upper end of each standard 1 is a cross arm 2 disposed in a plane parallel with the lines of rails of the trackway while mounted upon the cuter ends of the cross arm 2 are signal lamps 3, 4. Fastened to each standard 1 below the cross arm 2 thereon is a casing` 5 and pivoted upon a. horizontal pin 6 carried by the rear wall of the casing 5 is a vertical lever 7, while secured to the lever 7 adjacent to the lower end thereof is a weight 8 which acts to hold the lever 7 normally in a vertical position. It is conceivable, however, that other means may be employed to hold the lever in normal position.

9 designates a. horizontally disposed latching lever pivoted at one end as at 10 to the rear `wall of the casing and having the lower edge thereof adjacent to the remaining extremity concaved as at 1l and in engage' ment with the upper end of the lever 7. At the ends ofk the concavity in the lower edge of the latching lever 9 shoulders 12 are formed. Suitably fastened to the back wall of the 4casing 5 below the pivot pin 6 of the lever 7 and at one side of said lever is a duplex solenoid embodying windings 13 and 1a and a core 15. One end of the core 15 is connected through the medium of a link 16 with the lever 7 below the pivot pin 6 and when the winding 13 of the duplex solenoid is energized the core 15 is moved in one direction with the effect to swing the lever 7 against the action of the weight S and in this swinging of the lever 7 the upper end thereof engages one of the shoulders 12 whereby the lever is locked against return to normal position upon the dei-energi- Zation of the winding 13. On the other hand, when the winding 14. is energized, a pull is exerted upon the core 15 and the lever 7 swung in the opposite direction gainst the action of the weight 8 and in this movement of the lever 7 the upper end thereof engages behind the other shoulder 12 so that the lever is locked against return to normal position upon the denergization of the winding 1li. Mounted above the latching lever 9 is an electromagnet 17 ,which, when energized, lifts the latching lever 9 to relieve the upper end of the lever 7 of the influence of the particular shoulder 12 so that such lever may be restored to normal position under the action of the weight 8. Disposed in the path of movement of the upper end portion ofthe lever 7 at one side of such lever are contacts 1,8 spaced apart` while disposed in the path of movement of the upper end portion of the lever at the opposite side thereof are contacts 19. When the lever 7 is swung` under the action of the winding` 13 ot' the duplex solenoid the upper'end portion of such lever engages the contacts 18 and is held in engagement with such contacts by means of the adjacent shoulder 12, while when the lever is swung in the opposite direction under the action of the winding 14 the upper end portion thereof engages the contacts 19 and the lever is held against return to normal position by means of the adjacent shoulder 12. Thus, the lever 7 is held against return to normal position under the action of the weight 8 'when such lever is relieved of the influence of either of the windings of the solenoid. Located in each casing 5 are electric current batteries 20, 21 and leading from one side of the battery 21 is a conductor 27 extending through the lamp 4 and terminally connected with one of the contacts 18, while leading from the other side of the battery 21 is a wire 23 terminally connected with the lever 7. Connected to one side of the battery 2O is a conductor 24 extending through the lamp 3 and terminally connected to one of the contacts 19, while leading from the other side of the battery 20 is a conductor 25 terminally connected to the lever 7. By means of this construction, it will be seen that when the lever 7 is swung into engagement with the contacts 18 the battery 21 will be connected in the circuit with the lamp 4 and the latter energized, while when the lever is swung in the opposite direction and engages the contacts 19 the battery 20 will be connected in circuit with the lamp 3 and the latter illuminated.

Arranged along the trackway at the opposite sides of the lines of rails thereof are two rows of circuit closers and the circuit closers in each row are disposed adjacent to the standards 1 respectively, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Each circuit closer comprises a casing 26, contacts 27 secured to the bottom of the casing and insulated therefrom and spaced apart, and a vertical plunger 28 slidably mounted within an opening in the top wall of the casing 26 and having the lower end thereof formed with a stem 29 slidably mounted within a vertical tubular bearing 30 uprising from the bottom wall of the casing 26. Secured to the lower extremity of the plunger 28 is a bridging strip 31 adapted to bridge the contacts 27 in the downward movement of the plunger 28, while encircling the stem 29 between the lower end of the plunger and the upper extremity of the bearing sleeve 30 is a; coiled expansion spring 32 acting to hold the bridging strip 31 normally out of engagement with the contacts 27. On the upper end of the plunger 28 is a shoe 33. Also disposed along the trackway between the lines of rails thereof and alining transversely of the trackway with the circuit closers respectively are track obstacles. Each track obstacle comprises a metal casing 34 and a solenoid y35 securedwithin the casing 34 and having the longitudinal axis thereof extending transversely of the trackway. lllithin the solenoid 35 is a core 36 and one end of the core 36 projects outwardly through the adjacent end wall of the casing 34 and fast upon the outwardly projecting end of the core 36 is a shoe 37 Vmovable over guide lugs 38 fastened to the adjacent end wall of the casing and extending outwardly therefrom and spaced apart to form a way for the proximate end of the core 36. Surrounding the core 36 is a retractile spring 39 having one end fastened to the plunger and the remaining end engaging the adjacent end wall of the casing, such spring acting to hold the core 36 normally inactive and restore the core to inactive position succeeding the denergization of the solenoid 35. The casing 34 is formed with laterally projecting supporting lugs 40 whereby such casing may be fastened to the adjacent ties of the trackway. When the solenoid 35 is energized, the core 36 is actuated to slide the shoe 37 outwardly along the lugs 38 to active position against the action of the spring 39 and when the solenoid is denergized the spring 39 reacts and restores the shoe 37 to inactive position.

Each winding 14 is controlled from a remote track circuit closer at one side of the particular duplex solenoid and upon one side of the trackway while each winding 13 is controlled from a remote track circuit closer at the opposite side of the duplex solenoid and upon the other side of the trackway. ln the diagram in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the trackway is divided into sections a, Z), c, l and c and extending longitudinally of the trackway are feeders 41, 42 connected with the opposite poles, respectively, of a suitable source of electrical energy such, for instance, as a battery 43. Connected in series with each other and in parallel with the feeders 41 and 42 are the windings of the duplex solenoids and the circuit closers controlling the respective windings. For instance, one terminal of the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid in the section a is connected by way of a conductor 44 with one contact 27 of one circuit closer in the section c and leading from the remaining contact 27 of such circuit closer is a conductor 45 tapped onto the feeder 42, while from the remaining terminal of the winding 14 of the particular duplex solenoid leads a conductor 46 terminally connected to the feeder 41. Similarly, one terminal of the winding 13 of the duplex solenoid in section a is connected by way of a conductor 47 with the circuit closer in a section of the trackway located at the left of section a at the side of the trackway opposite from the circuit closer connected with the winding 14 and disposed a distance corresponding to the distance between the sections a and e and from the remaining terminal of the solenoid winding 13 in each section leads a conductor 48 tapped onto the feeder 41.

The connections between each winding 13 and the particular circuit closer may be best traced by referring to section c in Fig. 1. By referring to this section it will be seen that the conductor 47 leading from one terminal of the winding 13 of the duplexY solenoid is connected to one contact 27 of the circuit closer in section c at the side of the track\\'ay opposite from the circuit closers connected with the respective windings 14 and the remaining contact ofthe circuit closer in section o is connected with the feeder 42 by way of a conductor 49, while the conductor 48 connected to the remainin terminal of the winding 13 of the duplex solenoid in section e is tapped onto the feeder 41. rlhus, it will be seen that the windings of the duplex solenoid in each section of the trackway are controlled from circuit closers located at the opposite sides respectively of the particular section of the tracliway and remote from such section so that one or the other of the windings will be energized by a train approaching the particular section from either direction. The circuit closer-s controlling the windings 14 are disposed upon one side of the lines of rails of the trackway,V while the circuit closers controlling the windings 13 are disposed at the opposite sides of such lines of rails. Each magnet 17 is connected in parallel in the circuit of the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid immediately in advance of such magnet 17 so that when the winding 14 of one of the duplex solenoids is energized the magnet 17 at the rear thereof will be likewise influenced to draw the armature lever 9 upwardly and so relieve the upper end of the lever 7 of the influence of the shoulder on the lever 9. For instance, it will be seen that the magnet 17 in 'the section I) is connected in parallel, tors 50, 51 with the circuit of the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid in the section o so that when the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid iu the section c is energized the magnet 17 will also be energized to lift the latching .lever 9 out of engagement with the lever 7 in thevsection 7) and so release the lever 7 'wherel' y the latter' may be restored to normal position under the action of the weight S,

Suitably secured to each motor car cpcrating over the trackway and depending therefrom at opposite sides thereof are contact devices designed to engage the rows of circuit closers at the opposite sides of the lines of rails respectively. In practice; assuming a train to be present in section c of the trackway and moving toward the left of Fig. 1 of the drawings, the contact device upon one side of the motor car will engage by way of conduc' the shoe 33 of the circuit closer at the right hand side of the trackway and so depress the plunger 28 against the action of the spring 32 with the effect to4 bridge the contacts 27 and so close the circuit 'to the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid in section c, current flowing from one side of the battery 43, through the feeder 42, conductor 45, the bridged contacts, the conductor 44, winding 14, conductor 46 and back to the other side of the battery by way of the feeder 41. lVhen the winding 14 of the solenoid in section o becomes energized the lever 7 is swung, as previously described, and bridges the contacts 18 with the effect to close the circuit of the lamp 4 and in the swinging more nient of the lever 7 the upper end thereof engages one of the shoulders 12 on the latching lever 9 so that the lever 7 is held in operated position succeeding the opening of the circuit of the winding 14 at the circuit closer in the section c. Simultaneously with the energizing of the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid in section a, the winding 13 of the duplex solenoid in a section of the traclmvay behind section e and corresponding to section o in advance of section c is energized incident to the contact device 52 at the other side of the train engaging the adjacent circuit closer and when the winding 13 in such section of the tracliway is energized the corresponding lever 7 is swung in a direction opposite to the lever 7 in section a so that the lamp 3 is energized. Thus, signals are displayed both ahead and behind the train in section e to protect sir ch train. As the train enters section (Z and leaves section e the winding 14 of the duplex solenoid of the section immediately ahead of section a. is energized to cause the energization of the controlled signal lamp 4, while the sole noid 17 in section a, is also energized to lift the latching lever t? and so relieve the lever 7 of the influence the particular shoulder 12 whereby the weight 3 will gravit-ate to lower position and restore the lever 7- to normal position, thereby breaking the circuit of the energized lamp 4 in section c. Thus, it will be seen that as the train proceeds along the traclnvay the signal lamps will be energized successively in advance of the train and behind the train as to inA sure the braking thereof.

The track obstacles disposed between the lines of rails of the traclrway are in positions corresponding to the positions of the respective track circuit @losers and connected to one terminal of the solenoid 35 of each track obstacle is a conductor 52 terminally connected with the contact 19 in the adjacent casing 5 and tapped onto the conductor 52 is a branch conductor 53 terminally connected with the contact 18 in the casing 5 and tapped onto each conductor 25 connected with the lever 7 is a conductor 54 terminally connected to the feeder 4l. From the remaining terminal 0f each solenoid 35 leads a conductor 455 terminally connected to the feeder 42. By means of this construction, it will be seen that as each lever 7 is swung to one position or the other the corresponding solenoid 35 will be energized and the shoe 37 projected to active position, current flowing from one side of the battery 43, through the feeder 4l, conductor 54, lever 7, the conductor 52, the branch conductor 53 as the case may be, the solenoid and then back to the other side of the battery by way of the conductor 55 and feeder 42. Thus, simultaneously with the energizing of one or the other of each pair of lamps 3, 4, the corresponding trackobstacle will be rendered active.

In the present instance, the track obstacles in the sections a, 0, CZ and e are under the control of stations A and B located at the opposite ends of the portion of the track embracing the sections and disposed within each station are keys 56 cor esponding `in number with the track instruments in the controlled sections. Leading from the contact of each key 5G is a conductor 57 terminally connected with the conductor' 52 of the controlled track obstacle and the pivot points of the keys in each station are connected with a common conductor 58 terminally connected with a feeder 41. Thus, when a station operator wishes to operate a track instrument in any particular section of the track under his control he depresses the key 56 corresponding to such section, thereby closing the circuit of the solenoid 35 of the particular track obstacle, current flowing from the battery 43, through the feeder 4l, wire 58, the closed key, the particular conductor 57, a portion of the conductor 52` the solenoid 35 and the conductor 55, back to the battery by way of the feeder 42. It will be understood, of course, that each station is equipped with banks or sets of keys so that the track obstacle at botlrsides of the station between the latter and the adjacent stations will be under the control of the operator.

The throttle valve lever and the brake valve lever of each locomotive are connected with suitable trip mechanism which .is under the control of the track obstacles so that when such mechanism is operated by an obstacle the propelling power of the car will be cut off and the brakes applied.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein dcscribed and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In train controlling apparatus, track signals spaced apart along` the trackway, a controlling` device for each signal operable to render the signal active and controlled from a remote point, means for locking each controlling device automatically in operated position and controlled from a remote point different from the point of control of the associated controlling device, a track obstacle under the control of each controlling device, and means for rendering said track obstacles active independently of said controlling devices and of each other.

2. In train controlling apparatus, track signals spaced apart along the trackway, a controlling device for each signal operable to render the signal active and controlled from a remote point, means for locking each controlling device automatically in operated position and controlled from a remote point different from the point of control of the associated controlling device, a track obstacle under the control of each controlling device, and manually operable means for rendering each controlling device active independently of said controlling means and of each other.

3. In train controlling apparatus, track signals spaced apart along the trackway and dividing the trackway into sections, means controlling each signal and operable to render the signal active, companion devices in each section connected with controlling means at opposite sides of the particular section and operable simultaneously by a train in the particular section to render the corresponding controlling means active simultaneously to render the controlled signals active whereby a train will be protected at both the front and the rear, a track obstacle under the control of each controlling device, and manually operable means for rendering said track obstacle active independently of said controlling devices and of each other.

In testimony whereof I a'PX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN B. BR EDEN.

Witnesses:

JAMEs CRAWFORD, HAROLD H. FERGUSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

